Bold Interview Strategies and What You Can Learn From Them

Crazy costumes. Unusual greetings. Unconventional props.

While a big, bold statement might not be your style in an interview, these outgoing strategies all demonstrate principles that every job seeker can adopt. Below are several bold approaches that provide fresh insight on the interview process.

Strategy 1: Dress for the job you want – no matter what.

Most people opt for conservative, business-oriented looks when they interview. But a few have taken a more creative approach, showing up dressed in corporate colors or even in a costume depicting the company’s mascot!

Show how your personality fits with the team.

Your clothing communicates your relationship to the team and company. If you look like an outsider, you’re more likely to be perceived as one. Do your research, so you know what the company is looking for in its next hire and dress the part.

Strategy 2: Kill ‘em with kindness.

Resurrect chivalry single-handedly by being kind and respectful to everyone you meet. Be gracious to the receptionist, the custodial staff and even the parking attendant.

Show you think outside yourself.

Interviews don’t happen in a bubble. Even if the interviewer doesn’t see your handshake with the janitor or your “please” and “thank you” to the front desk staff, they will hear about candidates who are unusually polite – or unusually rude. By acting with grace, you demonstrate you care about more than just what’s in it for you.

Strategy 3: Jump in and do the job.

You’ve probably planned answers to every imaginable question in an interview. But what if you got up and showed the interviewer how you did something, rather than simply describing it?

Show what you can achieve, instead of making promises.

You won’t always be able to jump out of your seat and demonstrate how to run a piece of equipment, make a spreadsheet or lead a meeting. But you can “show” instead of “tell” during an interview.

Focus your interview preparation on three to five major achievements in your career. Use these as the basis for answers to nearly every question. Can you do sales calls? Sure, you made 56 of them just last week. What’s your biggest weakness? Your 12 percent increase in completed reports last quarter was intended to be 15 percent, but it took you longer than anticipated to learn the new software.

The more concrete you can be, the more vividly you’ll stand out in the hiring manager’s mind, for all the right reasons.

At Hamilton-Ryker, our recruiters leverage longstanding relationships and small-town values to produce cutting-edge results. If you’re looking for an ally in your job search, contact us today.